


Sinful Passion

by Armarasaur



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 19th Century, Arranged Marriage, Eren Has Anger Issues, Eventual Smut, Family Issues, Forbidden Love, Forced Relationship, I'm Bad At Tagging, Jean Is A Little Shit, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-05-29 21:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15081911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Armarasaur/pseuds/Armarasaur
Summary: “Jean.”Hazel orbs stared ahead of him, well aware that his father was awaiting him to turn around with a formal greeting. But Jean was just regretting not getting up the stairs fast enough.“Yes, father?” He questioned after a moment, in a tone as polite as he could manage, shifting his footing on the stairs to stand a few inches taller in front of the man.“Claudine’s condition has gotten worse since yesterday.” He really didn’t beat around the bush. “Our last resort now is to request help from Doctor Jaeger, who lives in a nearby town. I expect you and your luggage to be ready to leave in the next hour, am I clear?”





	1. Chapter One

“... terrible fever... water... away... treatment...”

 

It was no use. Even with his ear pressed right against the door, Jean could only hear occasional words that were spoken - none of which made sense put together. Surely they weren’t purposefully lowering their voices, right? Had it gotten that bad?

 

Excluding himself, the man’s only remaining family were all passed that door: his father; mother; and younger sister, who had been excluded to her room for weeks now due to a current untreatable illness. Their local doctor had been and gone not long ago too, carrying out the exact same procedure as he did everyday- although it clearly did nothing but numb her painful symptoms.

 

For just a moment, even the hushed voices had fell silent. Assuming their conversation was over, and that he’d heard all he could from it, Jean released the breath he’d been holding and spun on his heel in the direction to head upstairs.

 

It wasn’t like they told him anything after all. Really thinking about it, the only time they really addressed him was to correct his posture, request he start looking for a wife, or remind him of the expectations he had to meet, simply due to being the eldest son of the household. It’s not like he asked for it, so what was the big deal?

 

“Jean.”

 

Hazel orbs stared ahead of him, well aware that his father was awaiting him to turn around with a formal greeting. But Jean was just regretting not getting up the stairs fast enough.

 

“Yes, father?” He questioned after a moment, in a tone as polite as he could manage, shifting his footing on the stairs to stand a few inches taller in front of the man.

 

“Claudine’s condition has gotten worse since yesterday.” He really didn’t beat around the bush. “Our last resort now is to request help from Doctor Jaeger, who lives in a nearby town. I expect you and your luggage to be ready to leave in the next hour, am I clear?”

 

With that, he left into the dining room without even considering a reply from Jean.

 

Resuming his path back up the stairs, Jean headed straight to his room with his brows knitted together in confusion. All he was particularly concerned about, at this point, was that Doctor Jaeger would actually be able to help his younger sibling.

 

Within the hour, Jean had packed his luggage into a bag to have their maid take it out to the carriage. As much as he wasn’t a fan of the whole expectation of the family name bullshit, he definitely never complained when it came to those of a lower class completing tasks for him. It’s like he was under the impression that they enjoyed their time around him, but they definitely wouldn’t be their if they weren’t getting paid to put up with him.

 

With one final glance over the room, Jean slipped his jacket on over his white button-up and made his way to the dark confinement of Claudine’s bedroom.

 

“It’s time to go,” he cooed, a hint of compassion laced in his tone, as the girl almost instantly wrapped her arms around him after being lifted. Neither of their parents possessed the strength to support her for more than a few seconds, so it was always left to Jean. But of course he never complained. Claudine was the one person he’d never complain about having to be around. Hell, he wouldn’t even trust the maid to move her out of bed.

 

With Claudine securely in his arms and a blanket around her shoulders, the pair finally joined their parents in the carriage and the small figure unsurprisingly fell straight back asleep.

 

 _A nearby town_ the man had said at the beginning, only now gaining an eye roll from Jean as he watched out the window. It had been a few hours or so since they had began the journey and the carriage had finally come to a halt.

 

Successfully, without disturbing Claudine’s slumber, Jean stepped out onto the gravel path to overlook where they were apparently now staying. Opening his mouth to make a comment on the building, he soon opted for closing it again as his father would just dismiss him anyway. His mother usually just shot him a small smile, although it wasn’t in a rude manner. Jean’s father simply had the Kirschtein family wrapped around his finger.

 

Keeping his distance with the sleeping child, and his mother, Jean watched at the man approached to knock on the door.

 

“Doctor Jaeger!”

 

* * *

 

The Jaeger family was well-known for their politeness, along with the amount of money and land they possessed. Individually, they also had a lot of known traits. Their son had an extremely short temper. Their daughter had a completely different heritage. And how the head of the household, who was a very skilled doctor, worked with hundreds when a plague struck.

 

They resided in a large house, which stood out for miles around including the land: gardens, that twisted and twined with many kinds of flowers and herbs; stables, that held up to eight horses; numerous fields of land, to allow the horses to graze freely without damaging the scenery of the garden; and the church, which was just about a couple minutes walk away.

 

A good distance from the house, sat a clear, blue lake that was partially covered overhead by a towering tree. Against the tree, sat a brunette boy, his eyes closed as he intended to make the most of the summer heat.

 

From the moment the sun had been high enough to eliminate the darkness, Eren was out of bed and dressed, ready to spend yet another of his days outside with no interruptions. Or so he thought.

 

For as long as he could remember, he’d always despised the thought of being cooped up indoors; it frustrated him to no end. He would much rather be out climbing trees, skimming stones in the lake, and making a mess of himself- which he was successful with every time. Adventure was practically his middle name, after all.

 

Since claiming the spot early that morning, Eren had yet to shift his position or open his eyes; however, before even midday came around, his attention was drawn to the sound of hoof beats like drums advancing. A small noise of unapproval passed the boy’s lips, almost like a grunt, before ocean-green eyes flickered open to find his sister.

 

Mikasa came to a halt besides the tree, slipping out of the saddle and joining her brother on the ground. For a moment, she just joined him in enjoying the relaxing surroundings, but it wasn’t long enough for Eren until she finally spoke.

 

“We have guests, mother wants you back,” she explained, her voice soft and rather like usual.

 

Eren was silent. In fact, he didn’t reply at all. His eyes simply reclosed as he tilted his head back against the tree. He didn’t want to listen, he wanted to stay where he was.

 

“Eren,“ a voice called out, disturbing him from his comfort.

 

The male turned around with a soft scowl on his face, clearly not pleased.

 

“Yes, Mikasa, I heard you,“ he mumbled, soon standing up.

 

The brunette dusted off the dirt from his trousers and shirt, before approaching his own horse and mounting.

 

The ride back was spent in silence, Eren’s brows knitted together in irritation as he watched ahead of him. Why couldn’t he be left alone?

 

As they approached the stables, two servants stood at hand to take ahold of their horses while the pair soon hurried off towards the house.

 

Upon arrival, Eren was greeted by an all too familiar scowl as the owner quickly approached him.

 

“Eren Jaeger, how you can’t keep yourself clean, I will never know. Now please, don’t make a name of yourself in front of our guests and be polite,“ their mother harshly warned, soon turning to Mikasa. “Thank you for bringing him back. I’d almost forgot I had a son.”

 

Their father, Grisha, had soon came down the stairs to join his family as the Kirschteins were expected at any minute now.

 

The hall was rather big and incredibly inviting, with stairs that led to higher floors opposite to the entrance. Upon the door opening, they had all given their warmest of smiles- all apart from Eren, who stood wishing he was still outside. Rather than greeting some guests. But despite his anger, he forced a small smile.

 

With the door opened, what seemed to just be your average family was revealed to Jean. Only after receiving his father’s cue did the pair follow him into the house. With his usual best effort, Jean laid the bullshit on thick as he exchanged a handshake with the doctor and politely kissed the back of the two lady’s hands, before he was then granted permission to lay his sister on what seemed like a small couch.

 

Jean almost hadn’t noticed the final addition to the family, mostly because he assumed only a servant could get that dirty. It’s not like Eren was paying attention anyway, his gaze was stuck out the window and already planning his escape, away from the guests and his family. But a quick, yet gentle nudge from his mother highlighted that the strange boy obviously was with them and so Jean had to introduce himself. Stepping forward, he raised a hand in front of him, only now taking a moment to peer over his features.

 

From under the messy brunette locks, that more or less seemed to stick up in every direction, he could work out vibrant, turquoise orbs. Surely only a woman could posses such an attractive feature, he thought. However, that soon became the last of his concern as the two toned male realised he had been plainly staring at the other before him, with his mouth partially open.

 

“My apologies,” he uttered fairly quietly, only intending for the boy to hear as their parents talked away.

 

If he were asked, Eren definitely wouldn’t admit that their guest had caught his eye from the second he entered the building. And that his eyes didn’t slowly trail down his body, admiring muscles that were almost visible from underneath his clothing. He hadn’t noticed it, but a small blush rested across his cheeks, watching the way Jean’s lips slightly parted to kiss his sister’s hand. It wasn’t until the figure approached him that Eren felt a sudden heat rush through his body, all of which directed to his cheeks.

 

“Apologies? for what?” The boy questioned with a shrug, a somewhat small chuckle following.

 

Perhaps he hadn’t noticed Jean’s stare after all.

 

“Eren, Eren Jaeger, and you must be?” He added after a moment of silence, raising his own hand, still dirtied with mud, which he was now kicking himself for. Now he regretted getting filthy. Despite his current appearance, a small, polite smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his brow slightly raised in curiosity.

 

“Jean Kirschtein.” As much as he was relieved that Eren didn’t seem as bad as he assumed, he still made it a point to release his hand quickly due to the mud.

 

With introductions over, and no one but Eren listening, Jean figured he may as well lose the formal tone that masked his personality.

 

Eren had grown a little more comfortable with his new surrounding, arms crossed over his chest as he glanced over their mothers leaving, assuming the male’s and the little girl on the couch had left earlier. In one swift motion, Jean reached forward and pulled at a small lump of dirt stuck within brunette locks, taking advantage of the boy looking off elsewhere. Eren shut an eye and winced at the sudden pain, his hands quickly raising to his head to find the source. His brows furrowed in immediate irritation as his gaze fixed straight on Jean. With a slight squint of his eyes, Jean stared over the dirt on his finger before looking up to meet Eren’s eyes and flicking it in his direction, which landed directly on his nose.

 

“Hey-! What are you doing-?!“ he raised his voice slightly, his temper slowly beginning to rise.

 

Despite the expression the boy wore, Jean simply acted like he hadn’t said a thing and replied with a question of his own. “Why the hell are you so dirty, anyway?”

 

Before the Kirschtein’s moved to the country, and Jean was a small boy, he used to constantly sneak out to play with a group his age. To him, they were friends; to his father, they were the dirty, working class. But the once young male had learned a lot from them; nothing useful with his status, but he remembered every little thing they taught him. Of course, part of that resulted in a changed attitude, as he learned from numerous peers like the children, but he wouldn’t be the way he was without that. And Jean was beyond grateful he evaded growing up into a complete rich snob.

 

“I was outside,“ Eren sneered. Wow, a good looking boy with a rather rich personality; and with rich, he meant rather strange. “I was climbing and the ground was muddy,“ he explained, soon slowly removing his hand from his head, almost with caution.

 

Enough about that, though. He wasn’t about to shrug off the situational easily and just move on, which was rather common due to his temper. “You didn’t need to do that,“ he quickly snapped, once again referring back to Jean tugging his hair.

 

“Climbing? Who raised you, a monkey?” Much like Eren, Jean was set on sticking to the part of the conversation that he wanted to. After all, from the boy’s current scowl, Jean was intrigued as to how far he could push his temper.

 

Eren quickly growled, brows suddenly furrowing in anger.

 

“No,“ he mumbled under his breath, which was a little ragged and shaky due to his rising temper. “If all you’re gonna do is make me angry, I suggest that you leave,“ he threatened almost, his voice sharp and rough. His face was practically red due to his anger.

 

“No can do. I’m stuck here,” Jean replied in a fairly calm tone, an intentional sigh passing his lips, much like he was bored, as his arms crossed over his chest.

 

Eren huffed in slight irritation at that and soon glanced away, opting for actually calming down for now. A part of him was happy such a good looking boy would be staying here with him, but another part of him just wanted to push him out. His turquoise eyes glanced back over at him, slowly flicking up and down his toned body; however, he shook his head quickly, looking away with the same scowl across his face.

 

“Well, enjoy your stay,“ he spoke with a hint of sarcasm.

 

“Oh, I will. I may as well make the most of being here.”

 

In fact, despite Eren’s sarcastic tone, Jean did completely intend to make the most of his visit. He’d heard the family owned a lot of land, enough to disappear, at least, to avoid his father on his ass all day. Then again, if he played his cards right, the ocean-eyed boy in front of him could actually be of a benefit to him. After all, it’s not every day he met such a _strange_  individual. The Kirschtein boy was sure he could enjoy teasing him all day long, pushing the brunette’s temper to the limit. But at the thought of anyone else doing it was where he drew the line.

 

Eren lifted a hand to run it through his hair, it was messy and knotted due to the mud; which indicated he should most likely take a wash soon. His mother definitely wouldn’t appreciate a dirty son at the dining table.

 

Jean watched over the boy, his brow raised as he once again looked over his tatty locks, unable to comprehend how _anyone_ could get themselves so filthy. Although, he couldn’t seem to imagine Eren all dressed up, with his hair and clothes neat. This just seemed more like him.

 

“Well, I best show you your room,“ Eren started again, speaking softly now, as he broke the almost deafening silence between them. It was almost like he had mentally reminded himself that he needed to calm down in front of their guests. He glanced back at Jean before soon making his way toward the staircase. The brunette stopped to make sure the other two-toned haired male was following behind. Eren had no clue how long his family were staying, but a part of him was hoping it was quite a while.

 

“Lead the way,” he replied, the corner of his lips tugging upwards slightly. Something told him this wasn’t the last he’d seen of that temper anytime soon.

 

After a moment, the male uncrossed his arms and followed Eren off towards the stairs.

Eren continued up the flight of stairs once Jean began to follow, his mind racing and his heart somewhat beating incredibly fast. A sudden state of nervousness overtook his body for no apparent reason, it was just the only thing he could really think about was the male who was currently following him to his room.

 

He seemed so charming and teasing, did Eren like that? He knew what the consequences were of even thinking about another guy, let alone blushing over him, but something was telling him that Jean was, dare he say it, the one he had really been looking out for. The brunette never associated himself to relationships or anything which involved commitment, because he wasn’t too sure how to express his feelings, but something with Jean made his heart do backflips like no other person had.

 

Jaeger shook his head and continued up the stairs until they reached a hallway, soon pacing down that. At the top of the stairs, Jean glanced over the surroundings, trying to memorise the halls they passed through. The place was definitely bigger than where he lived, but with time he hoped he’d get used to the maze-like corridors. As he looked back ahead of him, Jean tilted his head to the side a little as he watched Eren, a curiosity as to what was on his mind stirring in him. Whatever it was, Jean was sure he could get some amusement out of it. “Problem?” He hummed, now taking his turn to break the silence.

 

Eren immediately glanced over his shoulder to look at the other as he spoke, raising a brow.

 

“Mm? No, none,” he replied rather quickly, turning his head back again just as quick to continue their route.

After a short while of walking, they soon approached Jean’s bedroom door; or more likely the guest room.

 

“Here,” Eren nodded, turning with a soft, polite smile before opening the door and stepping aside.

Jean replied with a simple nod of his head for the time being, his eyes focusing on the back of Eren’s head. Despite the dirt, he couldn’t help but imagine the feel of the soft strands between his fingers. Such a simple thought made his heart race with excitement, although he couldn’t figure out why. He hadn’t even thought to look inside the room where he’d be staying yet.  

 

The room was rather large with a big window which showed the beautiful garden outside. There was a large bed, a desk and a drawer to put his clothes inside. Beside that was another room connected, which was clearly an ensuite bathroom. It was all detailed beautifully and the furniture matched the decor and colour of the room.

 

Once he finally glanced up, Jean stepped in after Eren and looked over the furniture, before approaching the large window. He looked over the view outside for what felt like at least a few minutes to him; the rumors were true, it was beautiful. Straightening his posture, hazel orbs directed over his shoulder towards the other, forcing a slight frown on his face as he squinted his eyes.

 

“You’re weird,” he uttered after a moment, with a slight shrug. “I look forward to getting to know you, Eren.”

 

Eren screwed up his face slightly at the comment, clearly quick to snap back.

 

“As do I, Jean.. But I have a feeling I know you from somewhere.. Like I’ve seen you around before.” He raised a hand to place it on his chin, tapping slightly as he was struck in ‘thought’. Eren let out a small tut and shook his head, “I can’t pinpoint it though.” A clear smirk was visible as it slowly began to etch across his cheeks, a teasing expression now plastering itself across his face.

 

Jean placed a hand on his hip, brows furrowed in question as Eren spoke. He didn’t recognise the boy one bit, so surely they’d never met before? He watched as Eren’s smirk grew, opening his mouth to speak before he beat him to it.

 

“Hey, I remember now. The stables.” With that, the brunette placed his hand on the door knob, readying himself to leave. “Heh, see you around, Horseface, “ he teased and shut the door before he had any chance to reply.

 

That damn brat. “Hey-!” He began to retaliate, but the brunette was already gone with the door shut.

 

Eren chuckled softly, clearly having amused himself, and began to make his way back to his own room.

 

Jean growled under his breath, letting out a deep sigh as he glanced away from the door. It was only then that he noticed his bag had been deposited on the bed, so he opted for beginning to unpack. It was mostly just a few clothes that could be left in the drawers anyway. Once he was done, he figured he may as well turn in for the night and slipped his shirt off. The male wasn’t sure how the Jaegers were with meal times, or whether he was expected to join them when eating, but he wasn’t that hungry for tonight anyway. Surely one night wouldn’t do any harm, right?

 

Upon arrival to his room,  Eren stripped off his dirty clothing and immediately decided to wash. He scrubbed himself practically raw and make sure to pluck each clump of dirt out of his brown locks. His hair hung onto his face and dripped water droplets, the original spiky now replaced with nothing but flat all in one direction. He finished in the tub and soon exited, drying himself off and then changing into some clothes. They weren’t particularly fancy, just some comfortable clothes for him to pretty much lounge around in. Drying his hair, the original spikes were now spiky once again; it was always a mess, so bothering to fix it just seemed unnecessary.

 

Jean wandered into the bathroom, glancing over the new surroundings and looking in every little drawer or cupboard. He then changed into a loose pair of pants, before depositing his dirty clothes in a neat pile.

 

"Eren Jaeger..” he sighed, the name feeling natural on his tongue like he’d spoken it for years, taking a seat at the desk as he ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t wrap his head around the boy, making him all the more curious of how the pair’s relationship would develop. Jean stared off towards the wall for a moment, before looking out the window to see the sun setting. He planned on getting up early and going to see his sister, like every morning. Although he’d have to find her room first. The thought drew a sigh from his lips, rolling his eyes as he headed to the bed. Jean knew this was for her benefit, which made it all worth it, but he didn’t know a damn thing about this place. It was nothing like home.

 

He eventually laid down, pulling the covers up over his shoulders as he shut his eyes, his brows furrowed, like that was just their natural state. After minutes of thinking over how he’d actually find his sister, he decided to push the thought to the back of his mind as he eventually fell asleep, one thing seemingly haunting his every thought. That damn teal-eyed boy.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Getting used to such a large estate was certainly harder than Jean had originally assumed, even after a week of settling in. He didn’t see the need for all the spare rooms; it was as if they went on forever. Despite the two families similarity in wealth, the Kirschtein residence definitely came nowhere near that of the Jaegers. However, there was an upside to it. The land.

 

The rumours didn't lie at all and, if anything, Jean would say they were under exaggerated. Besides, he wasn’t one to complain when it meant he’d be seeing as little of his dear father as possible. He was already aware that he’d have to put up with it occasionally, like during meal times and when the young boy visited his sister, but short bursts with him wasn’t an issue. He had received rather a lot of grief that morning as everyone gathered for breakfast, mostly about the usual crap that he didn’t care for.

 

_ “Jean, sit up straight.. Jean, it’s rude to not acknowledge everyone at the table.. Jean, you should take a leaf out of Doctor Jaeger's sons book.. Jean, Jean, Jean..” _

 

It felt like it was never going to fucking end and the boy found himself subconsciously plotting his own death by a half empty cup of coffee.

 

Of course, the head of the Kirschtein family seemed to prefer Eren way more than his own son. Hell, he probably even preferred Mikasa over him. But it wasn’t like Jean was surprised at all. Besides, over the past seven days, he’s found himself taking quite an interest in the Jaeger boy.

 

Eren seemed rather unfazed despite the constant comparison between the two, more than obviously just keeping his head down while exchanging very few words with Mrs Kirschtein and his mother. He knew better than to let his anger get the best of him like this, especially on their guests, so he did everything in his power to direct all his rage into one single fist which he held under the table. Course, Mikasa seemed to have her gaze set on where Eren’s hand disappeared, knowing full well what was happening.

 

Another 5 or 6 complaints later, everyone had lost track by that point, and the three children were finally dismissed so the adults could ‘talk’. Among them three ‘children’ included a 17 year old Jean and Eren, obviously just a little ticked off at the big lack of respect they were given.

 

“Are you alright?” Was the first thing chimed as the dining room doors shut, coming from none other than Mikasa. She was more than used to seeing her brother deal with being unnecessarily angry, but she had to admit that she felt bad for Jean with the amount of times he was nagged in a single meal.

 

“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

“I just thought your father went overboard in there…”

 

“That’s nothing new; given time, the nagging will soon turn into nothing more than ringing in your ear.”

 

“But, surely-“ Mikasa interrupted herself, seeing no use in continuing as Jean was already on his way out the doors. Exhaling a small breath, she crossed her arms as her eyes travelled over to Eren. For once he was completely silent, until he saw his sister staring at him that is.

 

“I know that look, Mika.. I’m not going running after him.”

 

Despite those words of almost certainty, Eren found himself practically cowering from the ravenette’s glare. He rolled his eyes to make it seem like he wasn’t too bothered, shoving his hands in his pocket as he followed Jean’s path to the door.

 

“Fine, fine, but I can’t guarantee it’ll do anything,” he mumbled, before making sure to shut the door behind him.

 

There was no telling where Jean could of disappeared off to, but the brunette did have a small hunch.

 

* * *

 

**The day after the Kirschtein’s had arrived**

 

“Hey, where are you headed?”

 

Eren turned around with the full expectation of a lecture, only to be mildly disappointed with what he saw. Jean was headed downstairs in a loose pair of pants and shirt, letting out multiple small yawns as he rubbed at his eyes and pushed short ash-blonde locks out of his face.

 

“What does it matter to you, horseface?” He asked with a small chuckle, pretty sure he’d be proud of that nickname no matter how old it got, and it certainly seemed to get under the other’s skin.

 

“Forgive me for trying to be polite.”

 

“I don’t need you pretending to take an interest in me.”

 

“That’s not what I’m doing at all,” Jean protested, his brows furrowing much like Eren’s the previous day. “I figured you could give me a tour of the grounds- it seems like you spend enough time out there.”

 

Eren always got up with the sun rise to avoid this exactly, to avoid people getting in his way when he just wanted to leave for the day to be in peace on his own. Then again, Jean wasn’t nearly as bad as being stopped by his father.

 

After careful consideration, Jaeger sighed out, “Don’t just stand there staring at me then; we don’t have all day.”

 

Even though he was reluctant to do this in the first place, absolutely nothing was left out. They went everywhere from Carla’s small garden to all the way along to the the church building just near the border of the estate.

 

Jean’s interest was actually rather intriguing to the other and he couldn’t help but admire the way those hazel orbs lit up, even if it was because of the realisation that he could escape the house whenever he pleased. If either of them really wanted to then they could definitely disappear all day without a trace, and although it would result in consequences later on, it more than seemed worth it half the time.

 

Much to Eren’s surprise, they did seem to have something in common after all: the secluded, blue lake.

 

With Jean seeing it for the first time, and Eren witnessing the scene he’d loved since he was young, the beauty of it was just as bewitching. It was like a haven hidden within four enclosed walls that they couldn’t escape. If it were anyone else then Eren would have skipped this place entirely. It was where he could be found the majority of the time which was something his parents don’t even know, hence why they usually sent Mikasa out to retrieve him. However, as annoying as Jean had proved to be, something within him didn’t mind sharing his paradise at all.

 

“It looks best in the summer,” Eren eventually announced, deciding to break the silence as they both just appreciated the view before them. He wasn’t wrong either; the summer sun at its peak transformed the lake into the perfect mirror for the trees that towered over the reflective surface, completely cut off from the world excluding one narrow dirt path that led to it.

 

“I bet it does,” was all Jean replied, making a genuine comment despite how sarcastic it may have sounded.

 

* * *

 

 

Course, Eren’s suspicions were correct. There he was, sat back against a tree as he had a staring contest with the blades of grass before him- and he lost. He could only assume that Jean hadn’t been there long at all, considering he hadn’t taken a horse and had only left a few minutes before himself.

 

“Don’t mind Mika. Her intentions are good, she just doesn’t know when to mind her own business,” he started as he joined the other’s side, sitting against the same tree as he crossed his arms.

 

“I don’t need your pity,” Jean retaliated rather sharply, the area once again returning to its silent state in a heartbeat.

 

“That’s too bad, because you have it, okay? I feel bad for you and I wasn’t just going to leave you out here to sulk until who knows when.”

 

“Tch, I’m not sulking..”

 

“Tell that to the scowl on your face. When the wind changes, it’ll stay that way,” the brunette teased upon the first opportunity, trying to make light of the rapidly increasing tension between them.

 

That damn smirk of his, Jean could of sworn it’d drive him crazy before long. Not if he didn’t do something about it.

 

“Shut the fuck up,” the taller boy growled, instantly leaning towards Eren as he gathered his face in one hand and pressed their lips together roughly.

 

In that moment, Eren felt like he was about to melt away without a trace. Part of him even wanted to. How the hell was he supposed to react anyway? It was bad enough that this was his first kiss was practically with a stranger, but it was also with  _a man_. Oh fuck, his parents would kill him. Or maybe Jean’s parents would kill him first. Yet he found himself enjoying the contact between them, craving it more and more like he depended on it to survive. There was certainly one positive, Jean seemed as set on keeping the contact as he did.

 

“Are you deaf?” Jean mumbled, breaking Eren’s train of thought in a single instant as his teal eyes widened as much as they possibly could.  

 

“S-Sorry,” he stuttered, dropping his head as he felt his cheeks heat up like a burning fire. “What were you saying?”

 

“I asked what you were staring at. You went all weird when I told you to shut up.”

 

Eren shook his head in response, taking a deep breath as discreet as he could manage. That was close.. Why the hell was he suddenly having these sick fantasies about this boy. If he were completely honest, that was more or less the only thing that was stopping him. If Jean were a girl, things might of been a lot different. That is, if he even returned his own feelings.  

 

“I’ll see you for dinner,” he then mumbled as he rose to his feet, briefly dusting himself off. He knew Jean was totally oblivious to what had just happened, but he could barely stand the awkward silence between them anymore.

 

Without another word from either of them, the brunette then made his way back to the house, utterly dumbfounded as to what had just happened. And, more importantly,  _why_? What exactly were the feelings that he possessed for that horseface?

 

It felt like a mere five minutes until Mikasa was out on Jean’s case, just irritating the ash-blonde even further. However, it had actually been hours since Eren left and it was nearing dinner time. Having felt bad about his father earlier, she thought she’d save him the grief, in case Jean had accidentally fallen asleep, and came to retrieve him. She was somewhat taken aback though to see Jean awake and sat where Eren said he was ages ago, not seeming like he even wanted to make an effort. Was he the type of person to enjoy disapproving of his father's wishes? Whatever the case, she at least wanted to try help him out as much as she could.

 

“Are you coming back soon?” Mikasa asked forwardly as she stood in front of where Jean was sat, having a much different approach than Eren.

 

“Depends on the time,” he replied simply, really not prepared to go back unless he really had to.

 

“It’ll be time for dinner by the time we get back.”

 

That’s all Jean needed to hear, even if he would rather stay out here. It was suddenly understandable why Eren was so set o wanting to be out there the day that they met. With a small grunt, his legs having gone stiff with how long he was sat, Jean took the hand that Mikasa was holding out and used it to pull himself up.

 

He wasn’t even sure how, but in the short walk back Mikasa had actually made him feel a lot better than what he had. She seemed like the kind of person to find the positive in everything, while keeping her head down and simply doing as she was told. She was more or less the opposite of him, a perfect child in her role of a high class child. Before long, she’d probably be married of to some man of her father’s choosing, but he figured she’d just go along with that too, whether she was really happy or not.

 

Even though Jean wasn’t exactly great at showing his appreciation, he made sure to at least send a slight smile in Mikasa’s direction as the both sat down opposite each other. She assumed her father must have noticed their exchange, as she caught him glancing between the two before shooting her a warm smile of his own.

 

Once everyone was seated and settled, Dr Jaeger was the first to stand up soon followed by Mr Kirschtein. Whatever they had to say, Jean wasn’t interested in the slightest and picked up his glass of water as he awaited them to just start eating. The faster it came, the faster he could get out.

 

“Dr Jaeger and I have some thrilling news to share..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally updated, go me! The chapter is pretty short compared to the last, but please bear in mind I was on my own writing this while chapter 1 was wrote with a friend. I do hope I manged to keep your expectations up, and I'll continue to update regularly the bet i can.   
> Anyway, what do you guys think the news is? I tried to hint at it a little near the end, but let me know what you think in the comments.


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